Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A PROTECTIVE SOCK
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This invention relates to the field of protective
equipment. More specifically, this invention relates
to apparel that provides protection to a wearer's foot
and ankle during a myriad of activities, including but
not limited to, ice skating, running, hiking, dancing,
law enforcement, industrial applications, or other
physical activities requiring securely fitted
footwear.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Many sports, such as hockey, figure skating, inline
skating, and speed skating, involve the use of
footwear that must be tied securely to a wearer's
foot. Poorly or tightly fitting footwear may cause
undue pressure to be placed on the extensor hallucis
tendon leading to painful injury. Such injury may be
avoided through the proper use of protective
equipment.
[0003] For example, it is known that tightly tied skate-laces
may aggravate the muscles joined by the extensor
hallucis tendon that may in turn lead to acute
inflammation of the tendon (extensor tendonitis) and
acute inflammation of the fluid surrounding the tendon
(extensor tenosynovitis). Extensor tendonitis and
extensor tenosynovitis, commonly referred to as lace
bite, may cause sharp pain and pressure felt along the
front of the lower leg and top of the foot. The use of
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protective padding in front of the affected areas can
help to prevent such injuries from occurring.
[0004] Lace bite has been addressed in the art by the use of
added foam or gel inserts between the front of the
wearer's ankle and the tongue of the foot wear. Such a
solution requires frequent adjustment of the added
insert and is often deemed uncomfortable and
distracting for the wearer. Such inserts may also be
adhered to the tongue of the footwear. However, this
solution potentially damages the footwear as it is a
permanent adhesion, and thus cannot be repositioned if
it causes further aggravation or if it does not
address lace bite symptoms.
[0005] Ankle sleeves are another known solution. The sleeve
incorporates a protective padding in the lace bite
region. However this equipment must be worn over a
sock and must be adjusted to ensure coverage of the
affected area.
[0006] In another prior art reference, U.S. Patent No.
8,856,968, by Sherman, describes a sock with removable
stabilizer pads adjacent to an ankle of a wearer.
These stabilizer pads are however susceptible to
movement and require assembly.
[0007] In addition to socks and protective padding, a wearer,
including, but not limited to, law enforcement
professionals and athletes such as hockey players,
typically requires secondary protective equipment.
Poorly positioned secondary equipment may leave the
wearer susceptible to injury. To ensure protection and
to prevent movement, this secondary equipment is often
further secured to the circumference of the leg by
means of adhesive tape, or a hook and loop fastening
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band. However, the need to secure the secondary
equipment with an additional product can be time
consuming and cumbersome for the wearer. Furthermore,
these securing means are often not entirely effective
at preventing movement of the secondary equipment.
Therefore, additional means of securement of the
secondary protective equipment is desired.
[0008] There is therefore a need to mitigate, if not
overcome, the shortcomings of the prior art and to,
preferably, provide protection from injury while
reducing movement of secondary equipment in a less
cumbersome solution.
SUMMARY
[0009] The present invention provides a protective sock that
prevents injury due to lace bite or movement of
secondary protective equipment. Use of this protective
sock is applicable to hockey and other ice skating-
related activities, as well as running, hiking,
dancing, law enforcement or other physical activities
requiring securely fitted footwear.
[0010] More specifically, the present invention provides a
protective sock that integrates a protective padding
to provide a unitary garment. As such, a wearer's need
to frequently adjust the position of the protective
equipment is likely reduced. An integrated and
flexible protective padding also limits the amount of
equipment required by the wearer. The padding also
conforms to the wearer's body, and thus likely
increases the wearer's comfort.
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[0011] The present invention also provides a protective sock
that integrates a high friction surface to restrict
the movement of any secondary equipment. Such a
restriction prevents the exposure of a wearer's body
to potential injury. Movement of the secondary
equipment may also be distracting to the wearer. As
such, the integrated high friction surface likely
provides the wearer with a performance advantage.
[0012] Also in accordance with the present invention, the
sock may integrate the protective padding and/or the
high friction surface.
[0013] In a first aspect, this document discloses a
protective sock for use on and for protecting a
wearer's foot and ankle comprising: a foot portion
enclosing the wearer's foot having a top side and an
underside, a leg portion extending from the foot
portion, having a front portion extending upwardly
from the top side and a rear portion extending
upwardly from the underside, and at least one
protective padding, wherein the at least one
protective padding is integrated into at least an area
of the front portion of the leg portion.
[0014] In a second aspect, this document discloses a
protective sock for use on and for protecting a
wearer's foot and ankle comprising: a foot portion
enclosing the wearer's foot having a top side and an
underside, a leg portion extending from the foot
portion, having a front portion extending upwardly
from the top side and a rear portion extending
upwardly from the underside, and at least one high
friction surface, wherein the at least one high
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friction surface is integrated into at least an area
of the leg portion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The embodiments of the present invention will now be
described by reference to the following figures, in
which identical reference numerals in different
figures indicate identical elements, and in which:
FIGURE 1 is a front view of the protective sock
according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIGURE 2 is a side view of the protective sock
according to another embodiment of the present
invention where two protective pads overlap one
another.
FIGURE 3 is a side view of the protective sock
according to a further embodiment of the present
invention including a protective padding adjacent to a
wearer's ankle.
FIGURE 4 is a front view of the protective sock
according to a further embodiment of the present
invention that includes a high surface area adjacent
to the leg of the wearer.
FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the protective sock
according to one embodiment of the present invention
that includes compression zones integrated in the
sock.
FIGURE 6 is a side view of the protective sock
according to a further embodiment of the present
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invention that includes a high friction surface area
adjacent to the leg of the wearer.
FIGURE 7 is an enlarged view of a protective padding
on the protective sock according to another embodiment
of the present invention.
FIGURE 8 is an enlarged view of a protective padding
on the protective sock according to a further
embodiment of the present invention.
[0016] The figures are not to scale and some features may be
exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular
elements while related elements may have been
eliminated to prevent obscuring novel aspects.
Therefore, specific structural and functional details
disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting
but merely as a basis for the claims and as a
representative basis for teaching one skilled in the
art to variously employ the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] The present invention provides a protective sock
conforming to the wearer's body including a protective
padding and/or a high friction surface.
[0018] FIGURE 1 shows a protective sock 100 having a foot
portion 101 and a leg portion 102. In the embodiment
shown in the Figure, the front portion 103 of the leg
portion 102 includes a protective padding 110 with
perforations 120.
[0019] In one embodiment, the protective padding 110 extends
outwardly onto the top side 130 of the foot portion
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101. The perforations 120 included in some embodiments
assist in reducing trapped moisture on the wearer's
foot thereby preventing blistering.
[0020] In another embodiment, the protective padding 110 is a
high friction surface.
[0021] The protective sock 100 may be made of material
including, but not limited to: natural fibers such as
cotton, silk, and wool, and synthetic fibers such as,
but not limited to: polyester, wrapped glass, steel
fibers, nylon, acrylic, elastane, rayon, aramids, and
high-performance polyethylene. For example, DyneemaTM,
or ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, is a
high-performance polyethylene that is desirable for
use as a material for the protective sock as it has
the highest impact strength of any thermoplastic
material currently made due to its extremely long
molecular chains. Wrapped glass and steel fibers and
filaments may be incorporated into yarn for increased
cut resistance, and as such are desirable for use in a
protective garment. Similarly, nylon, a polyamide
fiber, is desirable as it is highly durable in a wide
temperature range. Polyester is also a desirable fiber
for use as this polymer is very strong, and is
hydrophobic, which helps to keep the material dry. It
is readily contemplated that the material of the sock
may be comprised of any combination of the above noted
fibers. The protective sock may also include a
material that is a sweat-wicking, anti-bacterial,
anti-odor and/or cooling fiber. For example, fibers or
materials that incorporate silver, other metals, or
natural stone particles, such as jade, may provide
specialized properties to the material.
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[0022] The fibers are wound, wrapped, twisted, or plaited, in
a specific manner to form yarn. The choice of yarn and
yarn plaiting and wrapping, as well as the choice of
knitting pattern, provides specialized properties for
the material. As such, multiple yarns may be plaited
or plied together to form threads that are knitted
together to form fabric. Different fibers may be
interwoven to produce the fabric. In a first example,
a first yarn may be comprised of 150 D (denier)
polyester fiber. A second yarn may be comprised of 70
D nylon fiber and 40 D elastane fiber. These two yarns
may be knitted together to form a fabric for at least
a portion of the sock. Table 1 shows the yarn
combination of the first example:
Table 1
Yarn no. Yarn type Count Color Filament
Yarn 1 Polyester 150 D Black 96F
x3
Yarn 2 Nylon X 1 70 D Black 24F
Elastane X 40 D White
1
[0023] A second example includes fabric formed by knitting
together a yarn including 400 D DyneemaTM, with a yarn
including 70 D nylon and 40 D elastane. Table 2 shows
the yarn combination of the second example:
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Table 2
Yarn no. Yarn type Count Color Filament
Dyneema TM
Yarn 3 400 D White 195F
(intermingle) X 2
Yarn 2 Nylon X 1 70 D Black 24F
Elastane 40 D White
X 1
[0024] Table 3 outlines a further example, showing different
Nylon yarns with different deniers that are interwoven
to produce the fabric.
Table 3
Yarn no. Yarn type Count Color Filament
Yarn 5 Nylon x 2 140 D Black 24F
Yarn 6 Nylon x 1 140 D Black 24F
Yarn 7 Nylon x 1 70 D Black 24F
Elastane 40 D White
x 1
The properties provided by a fabric may be improved
beyond simply combining different fibers to create
different yarn compositions, and knitting various
yarns together to form specialized fabrics. The yarn
may also be plaited either inward or outward, to
produce a different texture, to increase performance,
such as cut-resistance, as well as comfort for the
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wearer. For example, in the first example above, the
first yarn may be plaited outward, while the second
yarn may be plaited inward. Tables 4, 5, and 6 show
exemplary plaiting details for the first, second, and
third yarn combination examples, respectively.
Table 4
Yarn Plaiting
Yarn 1 OUT
Yarn 2 IN
Table 5
Yarn Plaiting
Yarn 3 OUT
Yarn 4 IN
Table 6
Yarn Plaiting
Yarn 5 OUT
Yarn 6 OUT
Yarn 7 IN
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[0025] The yarn may be knit to form a fabric using a specific
needle gauge. The yarn may also be knit using a
specific pattern and at a specific speed. For example,
a No. 132 gauge needle may knit at 250 RPM to produce
the sock. The use of a particular fibers, yarn, and
knitting parameters allow for creating a desirable
fabric texture. For example, the combination of thread
wrapping and knitting pattern of the material may
optimize the material for heat dissipation, cooling,
or a particular texture such as softness or coarseness
to touch. In one embodiment, the choice of thread
wrapping and/or knitting pattern may create a soft and
smooth inner surface with a coarse external surface
that provides a high friction surface. Threads of more
than one material may also be interwoven for use in
the protective sock. The different fabrics may be
applied to different areas of the sock. For example,
one fabric may be utilized for the foot portion, while
another fabric is utilized for the leg portion.
[0026] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the
protective padding 110 may cover a relatively smaller
or larger area of the sock 100. The padding size may
depend on the size of the sock or the intended use,
such as the sport type.
[0027] Referring to FIGURE 2, the front portion 103 of the
leg portion 102 includes a protective padding 110 that
is comprised of a plurality of protective pads 140 and
150. In this embodiment, the two protective pads 140
and 150 overlap one another. This arrangement provides
for increased protection of the wearer's ankle,
filling the gap between the leg portion 102 of the
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protective sock 100 and any footwear or secondary
equipment.
[0028] FIGURE 3 shows the front portion 103 of the leg
portion 102 having a plurality of protective pads 160.
The plurality of protective pads 160 may define a
design. For example, a pattern of criss-crossing
protective pads or any other shape of protective pad
is contemplated. The use of a plurality of protective
pads may reduce trapped moisture on the wearer's foot
or leg, thereby reducing the risk of blistering. In
this embodiment, the protective sock 100 further
comprises a protective padding 170 adjacent to a
wearer's ankle.
[0029] The protective padding 170 may be designed, and in
particular, shaped, to offer enhanced protection of
the ankle. The design feature of the plurality of
protective pads 160 and of the protective padding 170
is not limited to what is shown in the Figures.
[0030] FIGURE 3 further shows a protective padding 180 on the
underside of the foot portion 101.
[0031] Referring to FIGURE 4, in another embodiment, the
front portion 103 of the leg portion 102 includes a
high friction surface 210 that is integrated
exteriorly. The high friction surface 210 may also
form a design, such as a pattern or a word mark, or a
particular shape as shown in FIGURE 4.
[0032] FIGURE 4 also shows compression zones 205 integrated
in the sock to better conform the sock to the leg and
to the foot of the wearer. The compression zones
reduce movement of the sock on the foot and leg of the
wearer to help keep the high friction surface 210 in
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place. This increases comfort for the wearer. The sock
may also include ribbing 206 at the top to help
prevent the sock from sliding down.
[0033] FIGURE 5 shows the compression zones 205 more clearly.
As shown in FIGURES 4, 5, and 6, in one embodiment,
the protective sock may include at least one
compression zone 205 integrated circumferentially into
the sock 100 to better conform the sock to the foot
and leg of the wearer. The inclusion of a compression
zone 205 is to minimize any movement of the sock on
the leg of the wearer during activity and to help
maintain the positioning of the high friction surface
210. In the embodiment shown in the Figures, three
compression zones are integrated for securing the
sock: a first zone near the top of the leg portion 102
and under the ribbing 206 at the top of the sock, a
second zone above the ankle portion of the protective
sock, and a third zone near the arch of the foot of
the wearer. These three zones provide for a sock that
conforms to the natural curves of feet and legs. The
sock conforms to the natural curves by compressing at
the arch of the foot, above the ankle, and above the
calf muscle. Providing compression zones in these
narrower areas of the leg reduces the amount of loose
material, thereby minimizing potential chafing and
discomfort for the wearer.
[0034] As may be readily contemplated by the skilled artisan,
the location of the compression zone on the sock is
not limited to the areas depicted in the Figures. It
should also be noticed that the surface area covered
by the compression zones is not limited to the surface
area that is shown in the Figures. For example, in one
embodiment, a compression zone may cover a smaller or
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larger surface area of the sock, and may encompass the
entire shin/calf region of the leg portion. In another
embodiment, the protective sock may be comprised of a
compression material in its entirety. It is also
readily contemplated that a compression zone may be
integrated circumferentially horizontally, as shown,
along a diagonal (not shown), or with any pattern or
design, such as a criss-cross pattern (not shown).
[0035] FIGURE 5 also shows an outline of knitting pattern
regions A through G.
[0036] FIGURE 6 further shows a side view of a high friction
surface 210 that is integrated exteriorly on the
protective sock.
[0037] FIGURE 7 shows the protective padding 110 with a high
friction surface 210 that is made of a silicone
material. Alternatively, the protective padding 110
may be made of material that is heat resistant, cut-
resistant and/or machine washable. The protective
padding 110 may adhere to the fibres of the protective
sock material 230 without bleeding through the fibres
to an interior surface of a sock, thereby increasing
comfort for the wearer. The protective padding may
also be flexible with the expansion and contraction of
the protective sock material 230. The protective
padding 110 is also contemplated as being durable to
withstand rigorous athletic activity and frequent
laundering, and may be of light-weight material to
reduce discomfort.
[0038] FIGURE 8 includes a protective padding 110 that is a
plurality of protective pads 140 and 150. In this
embodiment, two of the plurality of protective pads
140 and 150 overlap one another. This arrangement
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seeks to provide increased protection for the leg or
foot of the wearer.
[0039] It is further contemplated that the protective pad
and/or high friction surface may extend
circumferentially around the leg portion to a rear
portion of the leg portion, such as a band or similar
configuration (not shown).
[0040] In addition, it should be readily understood that the
protective pads and/or high friction surface may be
constructed and arranged on the rear portion of the
leg portion (also not shown), in addition to its front
portion.
[0041] It is also contemplated that the top side and the
underside of the foot portion may also include any
combination of protective pad and high friction
surface. For example, some athlete training may
require high friction surfaces on the underside of the
foot portion.
[0042] Residual fabric due to a poor fit of the foot portion
may create unwanted movement and friction on the
wearer, causing discomfort or injuries such as
blisters. Therefore, the foot portion is preferably
constructed of a material with elastic properties, or
an elastic material composition, to tightly conform to
the wearer's foot. Additionally, the material of the
foot portion is preferably thin for comfort of the
wearer and to keep the wearer's foot cool. As such, it
may be readily understood that a given portion of the
sock may have a different thickness of material from
another portion of the sock.
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[0043] It is further contemplated that the foot portion may
enclose individual toes (not shown).
[0044] The present invention also contemplates that the sock
may extend beyond the knee portion of the leg portion
to the thigh area (not clearly shown).
[0045] A person understanding this invention may now conceive
of alternative structures and embodiments or
variations of the above all of which are intended to
fall within the scope of the invention as defined in
the claims that follow.
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